THE LAST WORD

How the war in Ukraine demonstrates the poverty of freedom of the press and speech in Western liberal democracies THE LAST WORD | ANDREW MWENDA |  The war between Russia and Ukraine (actually better described as the war between Russia and the Western world in Ukraine) is a classic case study …

Why the struggle against NGOs in poor countries is a struggle not to undermine democracy but to defend it THE LAST WORD | ANDREW M. MWENDA | In this column last week, I wrote about the ignorance, recklessness and even subversive work of Uganda’s leading opposition figure, Robert Kyagulanyi aka …

  How the ideological poverty of Uganda’s leading opposition figure makes him subversive to our national interest THE LAST WORD | ANDREW M. MWENDA | Uganda’s leading opposition figure, Robert Kyagulanyi, hereinafter referred to by his stage name, Bobi Wine, is a disaster of unmitigated proportions. He claims to be …

How the president’s approach of allocating favours to individual firms has undermined the development of a robust private sector THE LAST WORD | ANDREW M. MWENDA | On August 15th, President Yoweri Museveni wrote the prime minister an instruction titled “Support of Local Companies in the Construction Sector”. He said …

Why being vilified as being the most corrupt politician in Kenya did not undermine but facilitated his victory THE LAST WORD | ANDREW M. MWENDA | This week, the Supreme Court confirmed the election of William Ruto as the fifth president of Kenya. The election poses a dilemma for many …

How Kapeeka Industrial Park may be signaling a fundamental change in Uganda’s policy attitude THE LAST WORD | ANDREW M. MWENDA | Last week, on a visit to Gen. Salim Saleh in Kapeeka, I decided to also visit “his” industrial park. Although I travel for fortnightly pilgrims to Kapeeka to …

How prejudice has blinded us from seeing the reality of the politics right in front of our eyes THE LAST WORD | ANDREW M. MWENDA | Recently, a friend sent me a video of former Ghanian president, Jerry Rawlings, telling his experience as a former president to an Italian journalist. …

  The political biography of one of the most compelling politicians in postcolonial Africa THE LAST WORD | ANDREW M. MWENDA | I admire Raila Odinga. I think he is one of the most dynamic politicians in postcolonial Africa. So, I wished he would win the 2022 presidential elections in …

A journey to a South Indian state and the contradictions in its egalitarian ideals THE LAST WORD | ANDREW M. MWENDA | I had been battling continuous fatigue and exhaustion, largely mental and partly physical. A friend advised me to seek traditional Indian treatment. He chose ShinShiva, a treatment center in …

The factors and combinations that make that newspaper survive, flourish and promote democratic freedom THE LAST WORD | ANDREW M. MWENDA | This week, Monitor Publications Limited celebrated its 30th Birthday. Daily Monitor (the newspaper) and its affiliate radio station, KFM, are the ground on which my teeth as a …